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Aug. 21, 1928. I'

M. E. BRANTHAVER APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ORES Filed May 10, 1924 s Shets-Sheet 1 Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,695

M. E. BRANTHAVER APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ORES Filed May 10, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 mm n 214 Aug. 21, 1928. 1,681,695

M. E. BRANTHAVER APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ORES Filed May 10, 1924 I s Sheets-Sheet 3 V Patented Aug. 21, W2

e r its UNITEE 'fiifA S c raises earner err-ice.

MILTON BRANTHAVER, or snenrenovn, PENNSYL ANIA, ASSIGNOR TO en n AMERICAN 'MILLrnG AND nnnrnine COMPANY, A TRUST ASSOCIATION.

AEPARAT'US FOR THE TREATMENT OIE ORES..

Application filed Maya-10,

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus forthe treatment of ore, and more especially intended for use in the treatment of compleX'ores of the sulfide type and in a finely divided condition. One of its most important purposes is to provide a means by which ore may be continuously and economically subjected to a sulphatizing roast to remove the sulfur and like elements which render the ore more refractory and to convert the copper content of the ore from a sulfide to a sulfate, at a con'iparativeiy low temperature.

The foregoing and other purposes of the invention are carried out by the construction illustrated-in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the preferred embodiment of an ore roasting furnace embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, of said embodiment;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3'8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a plan View on a larger scale of a part of the traveling ore conveying means for forcing the ore from the receiving end of the furnace to the opening through which the treated ore is discharged from the furnace;

Fig. 5 is a view partly'in elevation and partly in section of the parts shown in F lg. a;

Fig. 6 is a view at one end of the furnace showing a specifically different means for conveying the ore within the furnace and dis charging it through the outlet opening;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line "Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on the line 88 ofFig.l;

Fig. 9 is a detail representation of-the valve for feeding the material into the fur nace;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of said valve; and

Fig. 11 is a detail view of the discharge end of the furnace and leaching pool in operative relation with the outlet opening at said end.

A designates the furnace which may be of an suitable shape and length. It. is provi ed with a floor 10 and beneath said floor suitable'heaters not necessary herein to set forth are arranged, in practice, preferably in the various places marked 11, having communication at one end of the furnace through 1924;. Serial No. 712,285.

the furnace is marked A and this chamber has conmmnication, at the discharge end of the furnace, with the chamber 15, through suitably covered openings 15, whereby the volatile elements may be permitted to escape into the stack 14, when desired.

At the opposite end of the furnace, there is a hopper B which has communication with the chamber A, through an inlet opening controlled by a valve C. The hopper and the valve extend across the furnace, substantially from one side to the other. The valve C constitutes an ore feeder and is provided with peripheral openings 0 here shown as extending spirally of the valve and substantially throughout the length of the latter: the valve being thus so correlated with the'inlet opening and hopper B as to feed the ore in a substantially constant stream and in a regulated manner into the ore-receiving end of the chamber A. V Y v D designates an endless traveling means having scrapers, such as those hereinafter described, operative to' force ore continuously along the floor 10 of the chamber A in a zigzag course of travel from the receiving end of said chamber to the dischar e opening 16 at the opposite end thereof, whereby the ore is opened up so that every particle thereof may be equally influenced by the heat and is maintained under the influence of the heat for a maximum length of time.

The preferred form of this traveling ore conveying means comprises two endless chains 20 and 21 connected at appropriate intervals by cross bars 22 each having at opposite sides of its transverse center two sets of blades 28 and 24, forming scrapers, rigidly secured thereto in any suitable way. The blades 23 of the set at one side of the center of each cross bar extend diagonally toward the right while the blades 24 at the opposite side of said center of each bar extend diagonally toward the left, and, moreover, the bladesof' success1ve bars are relatively so raran 'ed that a set extendin dia onall toward the right follows and is followed by a set extending diagonally toward the left.

In 6, a less desirable construction is shown. The latter comprising blades 120 carried by a series of chains l2l arranged side by side, said blades being rigidly secured io the chain and those or each chain so as to be directed alternately toward the right and left and to ccupy a staggered rel iion with respect to the blades of adprcent chains.

Of course, it will be understood that the chains in either construction will or around appropriate sprockets at the en the chamber A and that suitable means he provided to apply power thereto for imparting traveling movement to the chains and scrapers. E designates a leaching pool or vat which is arranged at the opposite end of the fur; a we in such relation to the outlet opening it as to receive the ore which has been roasted and to seal said outlet against the entrance of air. The ore which has been deprived oi its sulfur, ammonia, arsenic and other highly volatile elements falls through the opening 16 and is immediately submerged in the fttfii in said pool or vat E, the submersion or the ore as rapidly as it is delivered tlnougli the outlet opening 16 being assured by its coming in contact at this point with downwardly directed jets or streams of water emitted irom a pipe 25, having communication with a suitable-source of supply and arranged to sup ply the cooling liquid at a place which is below the level of the floor 10 of the roasting chamber A and above the level of the liquid in the pool, and to project the streams or jets of water into the heated ore at such an angle as to create a downward draw in the pool. The bottom 6 oi the vat inclines upward from the deepest partof the vat, which is below the discharge outlet 16 and a conveyor E having scraper blades 0 is operatively related to said floor, to carry the gangue and metallic elements which are not in solution to and discharging the same over the top of the vat, along with the elements in solution.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided an apparatus for the treuL- ment of ore in which the ore in alinely divided condition is led continuously into the roasting chamber and is continuously conveyed along the lloor of said chamber in a zig-zag path" and continuously discharged from said chamber into a leaching pool or vat and caused to be instantaneously submerged in the water of said pool or vat, and in which, morcoventhe roasting ol the ore is accomplished by radiant heat and in a chamber substantially sealed against theaccess thereinto'of outside air, the feeding-in valve, together with the ore in the hopper and in the grooves of the valve, serving to allow little if any air to enter through the inlet opening while the water in the leaching pool or vat serves to seal the discharge opening of the roasting chamber against the admission of air through said opening, It will also be ap increases the co-ellicient of contraction oi the metallic siibstancc contained in the ore is ditl'erent from that of the silicious substances and sinu y that the co-eil'icient of contraction of (iniercnt minerals which may be contained in the ore dii'l'erent from each other (i. e.,

one metallic substance will contract more at v the same temperature than another metallic I with which it is intimately asso the same silicious tori'nation or guigue). Moreover, any steam generated by the subn'iersion of the hot ore in the leaching pool will entcrlhe roasting chamber through discharge opening andpromote and en- )editc the volatilization of the sulfur, etc, and the conversion of the copper from a sulfide toasull'ate.

in short, the means described form a very doirable form of apparatusoperative upon ore in a divided state, continuously supplied thereto, to deprive said ore oif sullur, etc, convert it from a sulfide to a sulfate at a C0lll- PuIEi JiYGly low temperature, and continuously discharge it into a leaching pool,'under ccuiditions which c use its copper content to b dissolved and bring about a partial sepaion of the various metallic ingredients from. each other and o l the metallic in redh cuts from the silicious material and leaves the ore in a. condition very favorable for sub sequent operations intended to completely sepa other and hence for the recovery of all the values remaining in the ore after the sulfur and other such contents have been removed therefrom.

The lurnaceis provided with a chamber 1 having communication with the roasting chamber A, to receive the sulfur and other comparatively 7 highly volatile elements driven oil in the roastingoperation. These elements thus collected in the chamber F may be taken from said chamber and separated from each other in any appropriate way and at any appropriate time.

Reference is hereby made to my companion copeuding applications filed in the United States Patent Ollice of even date herewith and numbered, respectively, 712,284 and 7l2,28(i. In application No. 712,2841 have shown, described and claimed the particular valve illustrated herein and in application No. 712,286 vI have shown, described and claimed the particular leaching pool or vat illustrated herein, the said application being based upon the valve and leaching pool per se, respectively. Therefore, the valve parent that the water in the leaching pool or and the leaching pool are not herein claimed rate the metallic ingredientsfrom each i broadly but are claimed in so far as they cembine with the remaining features of the lieve to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I l. An ore roasting furnace comprising a roasting chamber having its floor provided with an ore discharge opening and an endless traveling conveyor in said chamber operative to force the ore under treatment along the floor of the roasting chamber and to discharge it through said opening, in combination with a'leaching pool or vat operatively related to said discharge opening to recelve the hot ore therefrom, and a liquid supply means operative to direct the liquid into the ore in its passage from the furnace. r

2. [in ore roasting furnace comprising a roasting chamber having its floor provided ith an ore discharge opening and an endless traveling conveyor in said chamber operative toforce the ore under treatment along the iioor of the roasting chamber and to discharge it through said opening, in combination'with a leaching pool or vat operatively related to said discharge opening to receive the hot ore therefrom, and a liquid supply means operati ve to direct the liquid into the ore in its passage from the furnace andin a direction I whichv forces submersion of the ore in the pool or vat.

3. An ore roasting furnace having an ore inlet opening and the floor of its roasting chamber provided with an ore outlet opening, a conveyor operative to feed the ore along said floor in a zig-zag path and to discharge it through the outlet opening, a vat containing a cooling liquid arranged to receive the ore from said-discharge opening, and means for injecting cooling liquid into the oreadjacent thedischarge opening.

a. An ore roasting furnace having an ore inlet opening and the floor f its roasting chamber provided with an ore outlet opening, a conveyor operative to feed the ore along said floor in a zig-zag path and to dischar e it through the outlet opening, a vat containingua cooling liquid arranged to receive the ore from said discharge opening, and means for injecting cooling liquid into the ore adjacent the discharge opening, and in the direction of the flow of said ore into the cooling liquid in the tank; q

5. An ore roasting furnace having an ore inlet opening and the floor of its roasting chamber provided with an ore outlet opening, means operatively related to the inlet opening to feed the ore continuously into the roasting chamber and to substantially close said opening during the feeding operation, means in said chamber to feed the ore along the floor thereof and discharge it through the outlet opening, a liquid containing tank or vat to receive the ore from the discharge opening, and means for injecting a cooling liquid into the ore adjacent the discharge opening, operative to cause steam to enter the roasting chamber.

6. An ore roasting furnace having an ore inlet opening and the floor of its roasting chamber provided with an ore outlet opening, means operatively related to the inlet opening to feed the ore continuously into the roasting chamber and to substantially close said opening during the feeding operation, means in said chamber to feed the ore along the floor thereof and discharge it through the outlet 01 ening, a liquid containing tank or vat to receive the ore from the discharge opening, the level of the liquid in such tank being such that the discharge opening will c sealed against the ingress of outside air into the roasting chamber through said opening.

' ore roasting furnace having an ore An inlet opening and the floor of its roasting chamber provided with an ore outlet opening, means operatively related to the inlet opening to feed the ore continuously into the roasting chamber and to substantially close said opening during the feeding operation, means in said chamber to feed the ore along the floor thereof and discharge it through the outlet opening, a liquid containing tank or vat to receive the ore from the discharge opening, the level of the liquid in such tank being such that the discharge opening will be sealed against the ingress of outside air into the roasting chamber through said opening, and means for injecting a cooling liquid into the ore adjacent the discharge opening and in a direction toward the bottom of the tank or vat.

8. An ore roasting furnace comprising a roasting chamber having an inlet opening and a discharge outlet, a collector having communication with the chamber to receive volatile elements given off in said chamber, a valve substantially closing the inlet opening and feeding the ore thereinto, traveling means for conveying the ore through said chamber and discharging it through the discharge outlet, and means arranged to inject a liquid into the ore and to cause the vapor formed to flow through the discharge opening and into the roasting chamber.

9. An ore roasting furnace comprising a roasting chamber having an inlet opening and a discharge outlet, a collector having communication with the chamber to receive volatile elements given off in said chamber, a valve substantially closing the inlet opening and feeding the ore thereinto, traveling means for conveying the ore through said chamber and discharging it through the dis charge outlet, a vat containing a cooling liquid which receives the ore from the discharge opening and seals said opening againstthe ingress of outside air into the roasting chamber, and means to inject a cooling liquid into the ore adjacent the discharge volatile elements given oil in said chamber,

a valve substantially closing :he inlet'opening and feeding the ore thereinto, traveling means for conveying the ore through said chamber and discharging it through the discharge outlet, a vat containing a cooling liquid which receives the ore from the discharge opening and seals said opening against the ingress oitoutside air into the roasting chamber and means to inject a cooling liquid into the ore in a direction toward the bottom of the vet.

11. An ore roasting iurnace comprising a roastii'ig chamber having an inlet opening and a dischargeoutlet, a collector having communication with the chamber to receive volatile elements given off in said chamber, a valvesubstantially closing the inlet opening and feeding the ore thereinto, traveling means for conveying the ore through said chamber and discharging it through the discharge outlet, at vatcontaining a cooling liquid which receives the ore from the die-- charge opening and seals said opening against the ingress of outside air into the roasting chamber and means to inject a cooling liquid into the ore at a place above the level of the liquid in the vat.

12. An ore roasting furnace comprising a roasting chamber having an inlet opening opening and above the level of the liquid in the, vatr 13. An ore treating means,comprising a roasting chamber having an inlet opening and a discharge outlet and also having an outlet for volatile matter, a valve substantially closing the inlet opening and feeding the ore theretln'ough, traveling means for con veying the ore through said chamber and discharging it through said discharge outlet, external means for heating thechamber, a liquid containing tank correlated with the ore discharge outlet to seal the same against "the ingress of atmospheric air therethrough and to cause the ore discharged from the outlet to be submerged b the liquid in the tank, means for causing a few or liquid Within the tank and a conveyor for discharging the ore from the tank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MILTON E. BRANTHAVER. 

